The homelessness charity, Shelter are once again targeting private rental sector landlords, with claims of abuse and neglect being aimed at the sector.

Shelter claim that that 125,000 tenants have suffered abusive behaviour from landlords in the past year and the health of 1 Million private rental […]

Shelter Target PRS Landlords Again!

Shelter Attacks PRS Landlords With
More Bogus Propaganda

The homelessness charity, Shelter are once again targeting private rental sector landlords, with claims of abuse and neglect being aimed at the sector.

Shelter claim that that 125,000 tenants have suffered abusive behaviour from landlords in the past year and the health of 1 Million private rental sector tenants have been affected by rogue landlords not doing property repairs or dealing with poor conditions in their rented property, with almost 300,000 parents who rent reporting serious impacts on their children’s health caused by poor property management.

The charity maintain that damp, mould, and bad ventilation in private rented sector properties are causing asthma, allergies, breathing problems and worse among tenants, and they are laying the blame squarely on landlords shoulders.

Protesters Occupy Government Offices In Call For Ban On Section 21 Notices

Last week campaigners from a tenant group called London Renters occupied the lobby of the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) by bedding down in sleeping bags to protest at retaliatory evictions by private sector landlords and over the apparent […]

Protesters Call For Ban On Section 21 Notices

Protesters Occupy Government Offices In Call For Ban On Section 21 Notices

Last week campaigners from a tenant group called London Renters occupied the lobby of the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) by bedding down in sleeping bags to protest at retaliatory evictions by private sector landlords and over the apparent insecurity of tenure within the UK’s private rented sector (PRS).

The protest followed a workshop apparently held by the Department of Communities and Local Government covering ways of making it easier for landlords to evict tenants.

The protesters wanted to highlight how being evicted by a private sector landlord has become the leading reason for homelessness in the UK. The campaigners want secure tenancies for all tenants, and in particular an end to ‘no fault’ evictions under section 21.

The homelessness charity, Shelter have started to campaign to get all letting agent fees currently charged to tenants banned throughout England, and they want landlords to foot the bill for it, a point which has angered the Residential Landlords Association (RLA) and […]

New Row Over Letting Agent’s Evil Fees

Homeless Charity Wants AllLetting Agent Fees To Be Met By Landlords

The homelessness charity, Shelter have started to campaign to get all letting agent fees currently charged to tenants banned throughout England, and they want landlords to foot the bill for it, a point which has angered the Residential Landlords Association (RLA) and caused consternation with the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA) and the UK Association of Letting Agents (UKALA).

Shelter have launched a new report, “Letting Agencies: the Price you Pay”, claiming that charging landlords is a fairer way of doing business and the charity also claim that tenants are having to go without food or heating to meet increasing housing costs because letting agents’ fees are out of control.

Shelter were instrumental in getting letting agent fees banned in Scotland and now want the practice outlawed by MPs in England and are calling for politicians to take action.

The homelessness charity seem to think that all letting agents are the devil in disguise and recently questioned 58 separate letting agents throughout England, anonymously, asking them about what fees each charged in order to set up a tenancy for a tenant and discovered the average administration fee charged by agents was £350 (GBP) plus upfront rent and tenancy deposits. Less than a third of letting agents questioned charged fees totalling more than £400 and seven charged in excess of £700.

1st January 2012 will see further changes to Local Housing Allowance (LHA) under the Government’s welfare reform.

The age limit for shared accommodation room rate is set to rise from 25 to 35.

This means that anyone under 35 and living by themselves or renting a room will be restricted to the shared room […]

Time is Running Out For LHA Landlords

1st January 2012 will see further changes to Local Housing Allowance (LHA) under the Government’s welfare reform.

The age limit for shared accommodation room rate is set to rise from 25 to 35.

This means that anyone under 35 and living by themselves or renting a room will be restricted to the shared room accommodation rate.

This new figure is obviously well below the current market rent for 1 bedroom properties in most areas, as this will now be calculated on the 30th percentile of the rental cost for 1 bedroom properties in each area.

This could mean disaster for landlords in the Private Rented Sector (PRS) as tenants in receipt of benefits will soon fall into arrears as their housing portion of their benefit payments (Universal Credit) are reduced by the Government.

With increasing unemployment due to the state of the UK & World economies, more and more people are finding themselves having to make a claim for state benefits including LHA.

2012 may well see an increase in evictions, homelessness and maybe even a drop in the average property rental price, as landlords could be forced to lower their rents to accommodate tenants who are only entitled to the lower threshold of housing allowance.

This scenario has been cited by landlords who keen to avoid benefit tenants and now are only seeking tenants in employment. The private rented sector could end up the exclusive territory of the employed in a few years time and landlords are urged to make thorough reference checks when accepting new tenants.

Landlords who wish to learn more about successful LHA renting and how to deal with local authorities to ensure direct payment, should consider buying “The Essential LHA Manual For Landlords” by The LHA Expert – John Paul.

The ebook costs £47 and is packed full of the exact processes and systems The LHA Expert uses to get paid directly by Local Authorities on 97.9% of the 500+ properties he has let out to LHA Tenants, the contents include:

Why you should bother with LHA, and how embracing the opportunity can take you from “Arrears Hell to Cash-flow Heaven”

Which properties to target for maximum profit

How to make sure you get the full amount of rent available

Who to steer clear of to avoid problems

Some little known “secrets” to using the LHA rules to your advantage

How to switch Tenants on the old system onto LHA to increase your income

Exactly how to make a claim – so that you actually get paid!

How to virtually GUARANTEE you get paid directly by the Local Authority –(this one alone is worth buying the book for!!!)

How you can get paid direct after 4 weeks NOT 8 weeks

The latest on Overpayments, and how you can make sure they are taken from the Tenant and NOT you

The homeless charity, Crisis have published research figures showing a dramatic rise in private rental sector tenants ending rental agreements with buy to let landlords. Either by mutual agreement or due to the tenant being evicted for none payment of rent.

There has been a sharp increase in the number of people being accepted as […]

The homeless charity, Crisis have published research figures showing a dramatic rise in private rental sector tenants ending rental agreements with buy to let landlords. Either by mutual agreement or due to the tenant being evicted for none payment of rent.

There has been a sharp increase in the number of people being accepted as homeless as a result.

And the research warns that the situation is set to get much worse.

The Homelessness Monitor – Which tracks the impact of policy and economic change in England, commissioned by Crisis and undertaken by Heriot-Watt University and the University of York, warns that after years of stable or falling levels of homelessness, 2010 marked the turning point when homelessness (in all forms) began to rise again.

The research predicts that the worst is yet to come as the continuing economic downturn combined with the Con –Dem Government’s radical welfare reforms will leave many more people facing the reality of homelessness.

The shocking statistics are the first since the Government cut Housing Benefit or Local Housing Allowance (LHA), for new claimants in April 2011.

The figures show a 46% rise on the same period last year in the number of people being accepted as homeless as a result of their tenancy in the private rented sector ending.

Chief Executive of Crisis Leslie Morphy, said: “The official figures prove once again we now face a sustained increase in homelessness but, worryingly, this research predicts the worst is yet to come. The Coalition Government is dismantling the buffers against poverty and unemployment that have traditionally kept a roof over vulnerable households’ heads. Homelessness is rising and we fear cuts to housing benefit and housing budgets, alongside reforms in the Welfare Reform and Localism Bills will cause it to increase yet further. We need the Government to change course now or risk returning us to the days of countless lives facing the debilitating effects of homelessness.”

Professor Suzanne Fitzpatrick, of the Institute for Housing, Urban and Real Estate Research, Heriot-Watt University, who led the research, said: “International evidence indicates that strong welfare and housing systems are vital in mitigating the impact of difficult economic circumstances on people vulnerable to homelessness. So the Government’s reforms in combination with the pressures of the economic downturn seem certain to increase all forms of homelessness, from rough sleepers on our streets to homeless people hidden out of sight.”

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